U.S. to give aid to Syrian rebels

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NEW YORK, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States will send $45 million in aid to Syrian rebels and $30 million for Syria's civilian population.

Clinton announced the aid Friday in a speech Friday at the Ad Hoc Friends of the Syrian People Ministerial in New York, and called attention to the threat she said Iran poses with its involvement in the Syrian civil war, The Christian Science Monitor reported.

"Let's be very frank here. The [Bashar Assad] regime's most important lifeline is Iran," Clinton said "There is no longer any doubt that Tehran will do whatever it takes to protect its proxy and crony in Damascus."

Clinton urged Syria's neighbors to stop Iran from smuggling regime-bound weapons and materiel into Syria through their air space or territory.

"We urge all of Syria's neighbors to take steps to prevent their territory or airspace from being used to fuel Assad's war," Clinton said.